The Devil's Hand (2014)

Pretty Good

Am i the only one who thinks........Average?

Fun premise, good actors, bad writing. This film seemed to have potential at the beginning but it quickly devolves into a trite action film. Ultimately it's very boring.

The acting in this movie is really good.

My gods! Was it terrible. Too cliché and generic. It's more hilarious than terrifying. But if you're into one of those moods when you just want to watch terrible horror movies, this would do great. I mean do get those moods. Unfortunately, I didn't watch this movie on those moods. BUT! I did get to see Alycia Debnam-Carey's butt though, so...I'm giving it 5 points for that. :P Good thing I love ADC. This movie stained the reputation of my small flower child! She's too adorable in this movie though. That is the only reason I watched the whole film, but if ADC wasn't there. I would have been done 20 minutes into it.

OK. It wasn't horrible. That's meant as a compliment because I was pretty much expecting it to be horrible. Now, I'm not saying it was wonderful, or good or anything like that. Let's not get crazy. It's a weak horror movie with a silly story. Six girls are born on the sixth day of the sixth month in some type of isolated religious community called New Bethlehem - a community led by (or lorded over by) Elder Beacon, played by Colm Meaney, who was certainly the most recognizable face in this. Beacon prophesies that one of them will turn out to be the devil incarnate, and which one it is will be the only one left by the time the girls turn 18. Sure enough, as their 18th birthday approaches, the girls begin to disappear. What's happening? Is the prophecy real? Is the devil really working through one of these girls? Or is Beacon the true evil one?It's watchable pretty much all the way through. But in the end, it disappoints. As long as you believe that Beacon is evil and responsible for everything, then you actually have not just a cheap sort of horror movie, but an actually believable (in an exaggerated sort of way) look at the potential dangers of these isolated religious communities whose lives revolve around the decisions of a single charismatic leader, whose hold on the community is so strong that he can do pretty much whatever he wants. Meaney was good in the role. He took it seriously and seemed to capture the inner workings of Beacon. This would have been OK - not great, but OK - if that had been the outcome of the movie: a community that eventually rebels against an evil demagogue. But, alas, that wasn't the decision. It had to end on a supernatural note. I won't go into much detail. I don't want to spoil the twist too much - but Beacon (evil, religious, charismatic demagogue though he was) really wasn't responsible. He actually turned out to be right! The devil was responsible - and he wasn't the one the devil was working through! That threw me. Disappointed me. Discombobulated me. Upset me. How else can I put it? The end took a movie that I had been prepared to promote to a few degrees above silly (because I thought it really had offered a decent look at the potential abuses in such a community) and it just became silly again. And that's the thought that lingers in my mind after watching this. Too bad. There was potential for better. (2/10)

Prophecy stalks a religious community. The fools! Or are they? Strong theme and good acting, but the story is rubbish - a disapproving rant about irrational behaviour, yet the end is beyond irrational. No problem with criticism of religious faith, but this was so obviously a caricature that I couldn't believe it, and the final reveal felt cheap. I think it's a case of being so contradictory that you end up agreeing.The story telling is weak - gaping gaps in the logic, plus several scenes you have to excuse just to keep up with events. It does look great, although the music is too busy. And so coy about the sex and violence - I understand the need to meet standards, but this was disgustingly tame.There is a saving grace, thanks to the actors. Colm Meany had a cheesy role, but the actresses were beautiful and intense. Pity the story didn't allow them to take over.

I saw this film in redbox and figured I'd give it a try, with very little expectations. I was surprised that it turned out to be a nasty little horror flick that kept me engaged throughout wondering how it would all turn out, right up to its' rather shocking and surprise ending.The plot centers around the prophecy that if six girls are born on the sixth day in the sixth month, when they reach their 18th birthday, only one will remain and she will be the Drommelkind, or the Devil's hand.In the Amish commune of New Bethlehem, in 1988, this is exactly what is happening, and that night the senior Elder Beacon, portrayed by the fine veteran actor Colm Meaney, fears the prophecy and wants to kill all six baby girls. However, he's prevented fro doing this by one of the girl's fathers (Rufus Sewell), although one mother apparently deliberately kills her newborn that night leaving five girls.Flash forward 18 years, where the five teens, who have become good friends over the years, are nearing their 18th birthday in New Bethlehem. They have been suspiciously eyed by the community ever since the night of their birth.As the time nears whether the prophecy will be fulfilled, bloody mayhem and murder begins in the town, with one by one of the teens being murdered, while some desperate parents of the girls commit suicide trying to save their daughters from becoming the Drommelkind. Elder Beacon begins to be suspected by some as actually committing these murders, as well as sexually molesting the teens in his "special examinations" to see if the Devil has invaded their bodies.This will all spiral down into a chilling and rather shocking ending, that I really didn't see coming. If you're expecting all the pieces to fall neatly into place, in the B-movie type, you'll probably be disappointed, but if you can go with the flow you'll probably enjoy it more.The movie is directed by Christian E. Christiansen with a screenplay by Karl Mueller.All in all, this horror film was better than I anticipated and kept me engrossed and guessing to the end.